#safe method

[delinquentkru]

i think a lot of the tension between langdon and santos comes from their motivations being different, even for behaviors that seem very similar on the surface. for example, they both want to be the best for all of the obvious reasons but, for langdon, i think it’s also because his self-worth is tied to his ability (“if i am not the best then i am less valuable to others and if i’m not valuable, why would anyone want me?”). for santos, though, it’s a self-preservation tactic in a lot of ways (“if i am not the best, i am showing weakness and am more vulnerable to being harmed again.”).

that kind of core difference makes it soooooo difficult for them to interact without triggering each other in an environment where langdon is the authority figure. like they get off on the wrong foot almost immediately because, in langdon’s mind, santos is constantly challenging his competence for no good reason and, in santos’ mind, langdon is trying to control her for no good reason. and it just continues to spiral from there lmao.

but i’m hopeful that we’ll see some growth in understanding between the two of them in s2 or s3 because i think they could learn a lot from one another once they’re able to get past the initial friction. fingers crossed!

[malevolententity]

just gonna do a bit of an episode 1 soul read right now and see how true it is by campaigns end

[frobby]

i think a core component of the okumura twins relationship is that if you told them before the series what happens in the future, they would worry about each other before themselves

[dutchs-paisley-vest]

Been thinking about Hosea a lot as I write this analysis on Dutch and Micah.

Maybe I’ll eventually whip something up about him, but for now I’m left with thoughts about knowing that not only is Hosea just as guilty as Dutch when it comes to how their boys were brought up (and continued to be treated through adulthood and ultimately up to their deaths), but also the way the two irreparably damaged John and Arthur’s entire lives beyond even their own comprehension. FURTHERMORE, they set forth a viscous cycle of familial violence and neglect that maintained momentum into the next generation. (See: John and Jack.)

The way Hosea’s action, but more importantly his inaction had in part led to… well, [gestures vaguely to RDR1 + RDR2].

Hosea might have been gentler than Dutch on the surface, but he saw it all, and at times both implicitly and explicitly encouraged it through the meticulous timing of his decisions to remain a “silent watcher.”

Yes, refusal to mitigate the violence makes him complicit, but the matter of the fact is… Hosea can’t even feign partial innocence as a third-party bystander because of how calculated he is in nature.

Additionally, there is no “third party.” Dutch and Hosea are a single unit. They occupy the same space even as two separate individuals in John and Arthur’s lives.

The deliberate nature of Hosea’s inaction puts him in the same position as the “perpetrator” because he isn’t just a watcher, he corroborates directly with Dutch and agrees with what he is doing on principle. He reenforces it in perhaps more subtle ways, but that doesn’t make him any less responsible for the outcome.

The only difference between the two is that while they’re dealing different cards, they are playing the exact same game.

[littleprincerianne]

"electric car or car that runs on gasoline?" no boo, these:

[dangerous-fighter-fairy]

Btw if you keep trying and failing to keep a journal but you wanna do it but you have a hard time doing it for whatever reason, here are some tips (from someone who likes the benefits of journaling later [aka reading funny bits about my life] but burns out easily keeping up with journaling. I had to fill a composition notebook in 10 weeks for class and here are a few things about that process that helped me learn what I do and don’t like about journaling

You don’t need a fancy journal to do your journaling in. I get it, I want pretty journals too, but they can be counterproductive. Hell, a fancy nice pretty journal might actually make it worse since you may (like me) feel the pressure to only write “cool stuff” in it or be neat or something. So instead you can go grab the most unintimidating random notebook from the store or grab some random notebook you used for school or whatever years ago and never filled and start from there

It can help to glue in random shit you’ve found. I put in my mini golf scores from a trip with friends, a postcard my mom sent me, even a random snippet of a poster I found on the ground. Add “mini golf scores with friends” under it and bam that’s your journal entry

You don’t have to write EVERYTHING down. Just whatever was funny or cool or something that annoyed you or a random thought you had. You can add snippets of poetry, temporary to-do lists, anything your heart desires. There are no laws. It is your journal

You can add stuff you forgot to mention earlier! Dates aren’t necessary but they can help later. You don’t need to be chronological about it

No one’s gonna see it if you don’t show them so it can be as pretty or as shitty as you want it to be

So tldr you can do whatever you want

[regular-gnome]

hey..

at what point do collectors opt to turn things from puppets to scrolls? I feel like turning an entire living creature into [a piece of paper] is very complicated, while turning them into simple puppets is easier because they keep all the same parts, just simplified and wood?

It is! It depends on the person's proficiency and understanding of the mechanism regarding when and how they change the creature. Once someone gets good at it, the creature can be transformed into a lifeless object without it dying in the process, and they will move on to more complex and efficient ways.

The way I see it, archiving is a form of information compression and storage—and there is A LOT of information. When looking at Earth creatures we have everything from single-cell bacteria to whales that range up to 100 quadrillion cells, all with different sizes. The smallest single-cell critter is 0.3 μm, while the largest single cell is an ostrich egg that can get to 18 cm. So it's not just noting "a cell"—there's also a lot of information about the cell content, size, the DNA, current water, and oxygen levels, what protein it contains and how much. Then there are spatial dimensions. (While we can consider there being more, especially in fiction, I’m sticking to three; trying to visualize four fills me with frustration and existential dread xD) Every cell has its place in space in relation to the others, and all the contents' relations are also important. If, suddenly, all histones materialize inside a mitochondria instead of the nucleus, we can have a problem. Additionally, physical and chemical processes gotta be considered. There's electricity powering our brains, hearts, running nerves, air in airways traveling to lungs, chemical signals traveling between synapses that also need to be accounted for. So, you have all the contents in space, their vectors, and building blocks. Thats a ton to save. This information has to be compressed to be preserved in an organized manner while also remaining lossless so that when returned to its original shape, it's as it was. Not even mentioning that in intelligent beings, there are also minds to take care of. Jellyfish might be fine after 100 years in a static void, but a human? Yhhhhh.

I think the mechanism would work by saving information in intangible magic and assigning it to a physical medium—be it a statue, doll, book, or scroll. If it is physical and can carry information, it can be used. We can argue the mind is part of the soul, or it is a biochemical process, but the fact is nobody really knows for sure what it is and Im not a theolog, so for the sake of this universe, I'll say it's something that occupies the same space magic does and is influenced by chemical processes, meeeeaning it can also be tricked by them. And the magic.

The first degree of preservation would be spells that only change the material but keep all shapes and info in place. This wouldn't require much thought while executing and could be "automated" or worse, taught to mortals (if they have enough magic to power the spell), like petrification or changing someone into wood, metal, or any other solid material. It's not perfect, if the structure is damaged, the spatial information is damaged too. Breaking is one thing, but imagine if the statue melts.

The next step would be assigning objects with some compression and change, like toys and dolls. I feel like there would need to be a system like a content library, so not every single atom is saved each time, but chemical structures like nucleotides in DNA (the ATGC thingies) would just have a shortcut. Larger repeating patterns could also be assigned their own id to save data, and it would slowly stack up. While things are written in intangible magic form and anchored to the medium, the medium can be somewhat customized, like the decorations the Collector added to the dolls. The mind, running in controlled magic, can also be affected, as we saw with Collie trying to scare them and Luz’s dream. On the spell keeping the preserved critter stable has a link to what shortcut it uses so with countless diffrent worlds and structres it wouldnt mix up.

Then we go further into compression, reducing size and dimensions until we reach a point where one axis is almost entirely removed, and we end up with a scroll. Then there are other things—creatures saved as amber miniatures, snow globes, scrolls, or drawings, sometimes purely to annoy the sibling that has to deal with the creature in unhandy form. A more permanent binding would be in a book that can contain a bunch of different animals. Rebinding for long-term preservation is the Curator’s job.

Looking at Earth creatures, eucariotic life shares ancestry with some ancient bacteria that decided to rebel and started to cooperate, so we share similarities even with distant organisms in some strutures since they come from each other. So when it comes to preserving whole populations with relations, the library of compression doesn’t have to be separate for every single animal or plant. For each section of the archive, there would be a common library of building blocks, and scrolls being somewhat separate carrying the exact instructions for body arrangement and the soul/mind/the part that makes them alive attached.

Next is unpacking the information. I think this requires the ability to interpret and recreate what was saved that mortals lack. While they couldn't really unpetrify others, a collector could (assuming the mind hadn’t deteriorated into a husk). In the case of an automated spell, I think it would result in a very lossy transmutation—like a jpg losing pixels, the creature might lose like heart funtion. The Collector's spell also looked temporary or incomplete since an influx of other types of magic (like in Amity or Raine’s case) was able to push back on it. That might also be why they were conscious in the form they were in. Not meant for long just enough to take them to archive in normal conditions. When a creature is heavily compressed, it needs external force to rebuild, as it's essentially written fully in magic. That’s what I think happened to the Owl Beast. Lilith released it from the medium, but since it wasn’t fully rebuilt, it being a magic form attached itself to a magic source.

SO YEAH, its a process that takes quite a while for them to master and it comes with experience. But when experience is based on life it often makes it hard to practice so those with less empathetic approach master it faster. Thanks for the ask! I was dying to talk about that for such a long time and that was a perfect thing to organise thoughts

[hammersys]

✦　˚ A list of Grounding Techniques and more!

The STOPP method ―

S - Stop; Just pause for a moment

T - Take a breath; Notice as you breathe in and out slowly. Try the box/triangle method.

O - Observe; What thoughts are going through your head? What are you feeling?

P - Pull back; Put things in perspective. What's the big picture? What are the facts?

P - Proceed; Think about what you're going to do next carefully. Do what is effective.

The NOW method ―

Notice your focus of attention. What are you thinking about? What's on your mind?

2. Observe yourself and tell yourself what you're doing. Examples;

I am sitting

I am looking

I am watching

3. Wise mind: Where should I focus on now?

The balloon method ―

Sit comfortably, with your eyes close and your spine straight. Bring your attention to your breathing.

Imagine that you have a balloon in your tummy. Everytime you breathe in, the balloon inflates. Everytime you breathe out, the balloon deflates.

Think about what you feel; Your stomach rising up and down, the sound of your breaths.

Thought or worries may come out, and that's okay. Don't judge yourself for having them. When they do, acknowledge them, let them drift by, and turn your attention back to the balloon. You can also notice things; Sounds, smells, etc. Again, bring your attention back to your breathing. You don't have to do anything with your thoughts.

Instead of a balloon, you can imagine other things; A flower blowing in the wind, or a dragon's wings flapping in the air- Anything that can help you focus. If the balloon method doesn't work, make it the flower or dragon method! Personalise it to what helps you.

Affirmations ―

I'm safe.

I am not in danger right now.

This is temprary.

This will pass.

Feelings and thoughts come and go.

I will be okay.

It will be okay.

I am strong.

It doesn't feel okay, but it is.

I am enough.

Other Information/Help ―

Accept your situation:

Do not talk down to yourself! You are not unreasonable or dramatic, and there is nothing you should be ashamed of. You are allowed to feel (intense) emotions and you are allowed to show them. Don't always stuff your feelings away or tell yourself that you can't feel them, you don't have to have certain emotions in certain situations! You are feeling these emotions, and that's what we need to continue.

Make a safe space:

To prevent further triggers, start to make a safe space for yourself. In case you are in a location that has triggered something, leave and go to a safe place. Make it as comfortable as possible.

Think about each of your senses:

Sound - Is it a busy road, or is it too quiet? Do you need earphones and/or earplugs? Do you want to turn up music, or ambience sounds?

Sight - Is the room dark, or is it light? Do you want all of the lights on, or do you want to be in a dark room? Would you rather have a little light (nightlight, LEDs)?

Touch - Would you like to touch something, such as a stim toy or stress toy? Would you like to be touched (A weighted blanket, or a hug)? Do you need to change into soft clothing, would you like a soft blanket to stay warm? Would you like sensory such as water?

Smell - Would you like a scented candle, or maybe a scented plushie? Maybe you would like to make some food, or you'd like to smell something that calms you down.

Taste - Would you like to have something to chew on? Would you like to have some gum to chew or something to drink? What kinds of foods/drinks do you like the taste of?

Address the trigger (if necessary/Optional)

Once you have calmed down, review what has happened; What was the trigger? Was it a situation, a place, a smell, or a thought?

Analyzing or reviewing isn't necessary! If you feel you've already calmed down, there's no obligation to do this.

Ask yourself questions about the trigger. Some questions could be:

What are your worries about the trigger?

How do you feel after the trigger? (Your emotion, state of body, etc).

Did you feel any physical/mental reactions to your trigger?

What would you like to change? Is there anything to work on?

Reward yourself!

Remain positive! This moment was rough, but you've managed to get through- Reward yourself! Get something nice to eat, treat yourself to a nice relaxing movie/gaming night- Or buy yourself hobby-related things!

Listed below will be some breathing gifs you can use;

BEFORE YOU COMMENT:

Everybody can use my resources, but keep discourse/syscourse out of our comments. Our anti-endo tag exists for personal interaction. Asks are anti-endo, etc, but as I've said, resources are for all.

[beifong-brainrot]

Hot take: Suyin was the postheroic feminist icon we needed in media, and the world wasn't ready for it.

Not a hot take around here brother lol.

But yeah. I think Su breaks a lot of molds and tropes that we've set in place for fictional women, especially women who aren't in their teens/20s, and Especially mothers.

As silly as it is, it is a weird requirement for female characters to be likeable. If a female character isn't "likeable" she is usually disregarded altogether. But there are also more hoops for female characters to jump through to achieve that standard of "likeable". We see this even in the Avatar fandom itself. Why Katara is so disliked. Why Korra is hated so, despite the traits cited as making her unlikeable are the very same traits we see in beloved male characters like Zuko and Sokka. Why Su is basically just a better written uncle Iroh but people despise her.

A male character that is unlikeable is complex and their unpalatable behaviours just add to their charm. A female character that is unlikeable is a bitch.

We've seen a rise in morally gray characters in recent media, and that is very good. There's a new diversity in our characters in modern media. But I find that a lot of these characters follow similarly trodden paths. Highly individualistic. Not exactly selfish, but rather in line with our modern values, I believe.

I think this is why the people who argue Katara should be more empowered seem to be advocating for her to be more like Toph. Whenever Toph and Katara clash, especially in the Chase, its a clash between Katara's community minded ideals and Toph's goals of self sufficiency and individualism.

Modern antiheroes often feel focused on their own individualistic goals, their own vendettas. Which I guess makes sense. A lot of us are highly individualistic, and a lot of modern media encourages us to be like that.

But I feel like sometimes we lack understanding towards more community minded characters and their goals or ideals.

Circling back to Su, she is very much a community minded character, to whom the greatest good is the safety and integrity of her city and family. She has her own ideals, but first and foremost it's her family and the city she sees as family.

Suyin is both an empowered, independent woman with substantial power, and a loving, caring mother. And I think in an era where there seems to be a divide between these two "archetypes" this is an important aspect of her characterisation.

So yeah, she's got a checkered past, she's morally dubious at times, she's communify oriented, she's a mother and she's a woman. Recipe for disaster lol.

Also since I've also been replaying Skyrim recently, I can't help but see a lot of similarities between the leader of the Dark Brotherhood, Astrid, and Su. Which is kinda perfect because I'm always shocked to see that a lot of people also dislike Astrid.

Idk what draws me to characters who cultivate a familiar relationship with their strange little communities and have their own strange ways of keeping them safe, to the point of hurting members of said little family. But I love them ❤️

[shinyrhinestones]

Guys I’m gonna go shift but give me a safeword that i normally wouldn’t say

[qoldenskies]

The painting of the laundry room scene made me so emotional,, I bet ccDonnie would enjoy some art therapy. I want that turtle to be happy so bad

i think a lot about how mikey was specifically painting a sunrise,,, i was definitely trying to invoke falling skyward energy there (yes i think a lot about how in the beginning of CL when they're first cursed its notably sunset, and in falling skyward its sunrise and the chapter right after is named "the break of dawn" im sooo normal)

also the way it loops back around from in CL where it was specifically noted there was no graffiti there, and how donnie saw that as the most fitting place to die. there were no traces of his brothers, only him, this was the only room he frequented because he was the only one doing laundry back then. he was so convinced his own undoing was his fault. how now they'll do anything to say im here, even if they cant be. how they're willing to love from a distance if that will make him more comfortable, just like he spent years doing for them

also yessss he deserves some relaxing hobbies he doesn't feel like he has to excel at. his tech used to bring him comfort when he was upset and he definitely doesn't feel that way anymore after everything that happened .... let cc!donnie make some art!!!

[pyrosomatic-metamorphosis]

tbh i think that even unwinnable fights should be winnable. some of the BEST fights i've ever run as a dm were ones i built kill the players (in a fun way. I had some cutscenes prepped so even the loss would be a different flavour of win)- but then they were clever bastards and managed to either win the fights or pull themselves out of trouble. I think it's perfectly fine to plan for a fight that players aren't supposed to win, but you need to let them. if they can't win, they can't lose, and the meaning of that encounter is diminished. do that too many times, and they stop trusting you to give them roleplay prompts and start expecting to sit there waiting while you drive the story for them.

but if they can win... if there is always the chance to win, no matter how impossible the odds, then they ALWAYS have hope. they always get invested. they feel the big emotions of success or the big emotions of failure, and you fucking Win as a dm/roleplay prompter/lead bastard.

[justanotherhh]

me: dammit stolas you can't just walk away from someone who's struggling to connect with you, even if they're doing so through the poorly processed means of yelling insults, you've gotta give them time to work through it and not need to control everything

also me: [is aware that i also need to engineer situations to go perfectly and if someone started yelling at me i too would immediately get triggered and leave the situation and cry and if i had portal-making powers would yeet them to another continent, never mind just outside the door]

[the-fictive-haven]

Just realized we never posted this stupid thing we made

[themanirealityshifter]

i don’t know if someone’s done this before or something like this, but i have an idea for a method.

basically, pretend that you’re in a DR. this is your DR that you’re in right now. truly believe that this is your DR that you’re in right now. your OR is the reality you’re desiring to shift to, but you must pretend that it is your OR, you must believe that it is your OR.

and then go lay down to sleep, or whatever method you use, and “shift back” to your OR. say your safe word repeatedly while doing your method, cuz that’s what gets you back to your OR.

and then, hopefully, you’ll be in your DR.

(i haven’t tried this out yet, but maybe some shifters can and tell me what y’all think and how it goes for you, peeps! :])

[cinemaocd]

Every Protest Has

Outside provocateurs starting property damage, and violence.

Hardened activists/Professional protestors that are out to get strategically arrested. Usually <10 people.

The groups with almost no connection with the cause being protested who try to make it about themselves.

The cops starting shit. Escalating to militarized police response.

Street theater.

Privileged people starting shit with the cops putting marginalized folks in even more danger.

Surveillance.

Private Security

FBI informants

Counter protestors not in a formal protest group but scattered around the margins, making themselves visible to the media but also on or near public transport so that they can intimidate people coming/going to the protest

"Non-lethal" crowd control methods.

People with bullhorns who should not have them. Ever.

and finally but probably most importantly:

Every protest has

been mischaracterized, often wildly so, by the media.